Spring-scale.



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LAWRENCE P. VVELFLEY, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THEAUTOMATIC SCALE COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEWV JERSEY.

SPRING-SCALE.

Specification of Letters Patent,

Patented July 25, 1905.

Application filed December 24, 1904. Serial No. 238,247.

' a citizen of the United States, residing at Bridgeport, Connecticut,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Spring- Scales, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention relates to spring-scales, and is designed to provide asimple and effective arrangement for controlling the movement of themechanism.

The invention concerns particularly a pneumatic cushion or dash-pot andthe manner oi' connecting the same with the operating mechanism of thescale.

The invention consists in the features and combination and arrangementof parts hereinafter described, and particularly pointed out in theclaims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a central vertical sectionalview of so much of a spring scale with my invention applied thereto aswill enable one skilled in the art to understand the same. Fig. 2 is adetail view of the dash-pot or pneumatic cushion, and Fig. 3 is a viewoi' the parts shown in Fig. 2 a quarter-turn therefrom.

I have shown my invention as applied to a price-scale of the typeemploying a vertical cylindrical chart rotating in acasing2 and havingconnections to the cross-beam or crosshead 3, which carries the hook 4:,from which the scale-pan is hung. This cross-beam is suspended bysprings 5, connected with the main stationary fr ame 6. The connectionsbetween the springs and the cross-heads consist ofthe rod 7 The cylinderof the pneumatic cushion or dash-pot is shown at 8, closed at its upperend and open at its lower end. A piston 9 is adapted to reciprocatewithin this cylinder, and the piston-rod l() has a rigid connection withthe piston at 11, said rigid connection in the present instanceconsisting of the end of the piston-rod fitting in a socket in thepiston, wherein it is rigidly held by a cross-pin l2 passing through thepiston-rod and the walls of the socket:

In a spring-scale of the general type indithe pneumatic cushion ordash-pot. I aim to provide a simple connection which will allow thismovement and which at the same time will present advantages in theoperation of the dash-pot.` As above stated, I provide a rigidconnection between the piston and the pistonrod of the pneumaticcushion, and I allow all the lateral displacement between the beam 8 andthe piston-rod to take place at the lower end of the said rod at itspoint of connection with the cross-beam. For this purposeI provide thecross-beam in its upper surface with an elongated cavity 9', and Iflatten the lower end of the piston-rod at 10, and in this flattened endI provide an elongated openifn-ger/M slot ll', with its longestdimension extending in the same direction as the cavity 9. rThe cavity 9is also considerably wider, as shown in Fig. 3, than the flattened endof the piston-rod. A pin 12, fixed rigidly in the walls of the cavity 9,passes through the elongated openingrll inthe end of the piston.Normally this pin is at a central point in the said elongated opening,and the fiattened end of the piston-rod is midway between the front andreal-walls of the cavity 9, as shown at Fig.

3; but when lateral displacement of the crossbeam 3 takes place in anydirection the connection just described, consisting of the pin passingthrough the elongated opening in the piston-rod which is located in theelongated and widened cavity in the cross-beam, will allow saidcross-beam, together with the scale-pan, to move in any directionwithout affecting the position of the piston-rod and piston in relationto the cylinder to such an'extent as would prevent the proper operationof these parts.

The connection described is such that displacement of the scale-pan andbeam in any direction will be allowed for.

By reason of the fact that I providearigid y parts being raised by thesprings the lirst tendency will be to throw the piston slightly at anangle in relationl to the axis of the cylinder, due to the fact that theupward pressure of the parts will not always be in a direct verticalline, and this pressure will increase the resistance initially andprevent a too rapd rise at the beginning of the movement; butu after amovement starts the parts will assume a more nearly central relativeposition for their operation as a pneumatic cushion.

iVhile I show the invention as applied toa spring-scale of the verticalcylindrical type, I do not, of course, limit myself in this regard.Further, I do not wish to limit myself to the particular form of looseconnection between the piston-rod and the connection leadingI to thegoods-receiver, for, while I regard this form as presenting'advantagesof simplicity and effectiveness, the broad principle of the inventioncan be carried out in other ways than that shown.

I claim as my invention-- 1. In combination in a spring-scale, a support`for a scale-pan or goods-carrier, a cylinder and piston, a connectionbetween the said piston and the pan-sup port consisting of a piston-rodrigidly connected at one end to the piston and having a loose connectionwith the support at the opposite end allowing the said support to havelateral movement horizontally in all directions in relation to thepiston-rod, substantially as described.

2. In combination in a spring-scale, a cylinder, a piston therein, asupport for the scalepan or goods-carrier having an elongated cavitytherein, the piston-rod connected rigidly to the piston and having anelongated opening in the end extending into the said cavity, and a pinpassing through the said cavity, and the elongated opening of thepiston-rod, the said cavity being ol greater width than the piston-rod,substantially as described.

3. In combination in apparatus ot the class described, the support forthe scale-pan or goods-carrier, a cylinder, a piston moving therein, apiston-rod connected with the piston rigidly and having its other endliattened and provided with an elongated opening and a pin passingthrough the said elongated opening and [ixed to the support to allow theflattened end to have movement transversely and longitudinally thereof,substantially as described.

4. In combination, in apparatus of the class described, a supportingmember for the scalepan or goods-carrier, a cylinder, a piston and apiston-rod extending' between the piston and the said support, andconnected rigidly at one end and having a loose connection at its otherend to allow lateral displacement in all directions between said otherend and the partto which it is connected, substantially as described.

5. In combination in apparatus of the class described, a support for thepan or goodscarrier, a cylinder, a piston, a piston-rod having anelongated opening extending substantially horizontally therein and a pinpassing through the said elongated opening to hold the piston-rod whileallowing movement oi the pin longitudinally or transversely in relationto the piston-rod, substantially as described.

6. In combination, in apparatus ot' the class described, a support forthe pan or goods-carrier, a cylinder, a piston, a piston-rod extendingbetween the piston and said support and connected rigidly at one end andhaving a loose terminal connection at its other end to allow relativelateral displacement in all directions at said terminal end between saidend and the part to which the said rod is loosely connected,substantially as described.

7. In combination, in apparatus of the class described, a support forthe pan or goods-carrier, a cylinder, a piston, a piston-rod extendingbetween the piston and said support and connected rigidly at its upperend to the piston and having at its lower terminus a loose connectionwith the said support to allow the same to have movement in alldirections.

In testimony whereo'l I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

LAVVRENGE l). VELFLEY.

